System and method for routing and communicating in a heterogeneous network environment

ABSTRACT

An improved system and method are disclosed for peer-to-peer communications. In one example, the method is for connecting an endpoint that is separated from another endpoint by a symmetric network address translation device.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/252,262, filed Oct. 17, 2005, and entitled SYSTEM AND METHOD FORROUTING AND COMMUNICATING IN A HETEROGENEOUS NETWORK ENVIRONMENT, whichapplication is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser.No. 11/081,068, filed on Mar. 15, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,656,870,issued on Feb. 2, 2010, which application Ser. No. 11/081,068 claimsbenefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Ser. Nos. 60/583,536, filed Jun. 29,2004, 60/628,183, filed Nov. 15, 2004, and 60/628,291, filed Nov. 17,2004, all of which are incorporated by reference in the presentapplication.

BACKGROUND

Current packet-based communication networks may be generally dividedinto peer-to-peer networks and client/server networks. Traditionalpeer-to-peer networks support direct communication between variousendpoints without the use of an intermediary device (e.g., a host orserver). Each endpoint may initiate requests directly to other endpointsand respond to requests from other endpoints using credential andaddress information stored on each endpoint. However, becausetraditional peer-to-peer networks include the distribution and storageof endpoint information (e.g., addresses and credentials) throughout thenetwork on the various insecure endpoints, such networks inherently havean increased security risk. While a client/server model addresses thesecurity problem inherent in the peer-to-peer model by localizing thestorage of credentials and address information on a server, adisadvantage of client/server networks is that the server may be unableto adequately support the number of clients that are attempting tocommunicate with it. As all communications (even between two clients)must pass through the server, the server can rapidly become a bottleneckin the system.

Accordingly, what is needed are a system and method that addresses theseissues.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a simplified network diagram of one embodiment of a hybridpeer-to-peer system.

FIG. 2 a illustrates one embodiment of an access server architecturethat may be used within the system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 2 b illustrates one embodiment of an endpoint architecture that maybe used within the system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 2 c illustrates one embodiment of components within the endpointarchitecture of FIG. 2 b that may be used for cellular networkconnectivity.

FIG. 2 d illustrates a traditional softswitch configuration with twoendpoints.

FIG. 2 e illustrates a traditional softswitch configuration with threeendpoints and a media bridge.

FIG. 2 f illustrates one embodiment of the present disclosure with twoendpoints, each of which includes a softswitch.

FIG. 2 g illustrates one embodiment of the present disclosure with threeendpoints, each of which includes a softswitch.

FIG. 3 a is a sequence diagram illustrating the interaction of variouscomponents of FIG. 2 b when placing a call.

FIG. 3 b is a sequence diagram illustrating the interaction of variouscomponents of FIG. 2 b when receiving a call.

FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram illustrating an exemplary process by whichan endpoint of FIG. 1 may be authenticated and communicate with anotherendpoint.

FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram illustrating an exemplary process by whichan endpoint of FIG. 1 may determine the status of another endpoint.

FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram illustrating an exemplary process by whichan access server of FIG. 1 may aid an endpoint in establishingcommunications with another endpoint.

FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram illustrating an exemplary process by whichan endpoint of FIG. 1 may request that it be added to the buddy list ofanother endpoint that is currently online.

FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram illustrating an exemplary process by whichan endpoint of FIG. 1 may request that it be added to the buddy list ofanother endpoint that is currently offline.

FIG. 9 is a sequence diagram illustrating an exemplary process by whichan endpoint of FIG. 1 may request that it be added to the buddy list ofanother endpoint that is currently offline before it too goes offline.

FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating an exemplary process by whichan endpoint of FIG. 1 may send a voicemail to another endpoint that isonline.

FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram illustrating an exemplary process by whichan endpoint of FIG. 1 may send a voicemail to another endpoint that isoffline.

FIG. 12 is a simplified diagram of another embodiment of a peer-to-peersystem that is coupled to destinations outside of the peer-to-peersystem.

FIG. 13 is a sequence diagram illustrating an exemplary process by whichan endpoint of FIG. 12 may directly contact a destination outside of thepeer-to-peer system.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart of one embodiment of a method by which a routingtable may be downloaded and utilized by an endpoint.

FIG. 15 is a sequence diagram illustrating an exemplary process by whichan external device may establish contact with an endpoint within thepeer-to-peer system of FIG. 12.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart of one embodiment of a method by which anendpoint may provide interactive voice response functionality.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart of one embodiment of a method by which wiretapfunctionality may be provided on an endpoint.

FIG. 18 is a sequence diagram illustrating an exemplary process by whichan endpoint may stream data to one or more other endpoints.

FIG. 19 is a sequence diagram illustrating an exemplary process by whichan endpoint may conduct a private transaction with one or more buddyendpoints.

FIG. 20 is a sequence diagram illustrating an exemplary process by whichan endpoint may conduct a public transaction with one or more otherendpoints.

FIG. 21 is a sequence diagram illustrating an exemplary process by whichan endpoint may establish a conference call with other endpoints.

FIG. 22 is a simplified diagram of an embodiment of a peer-to-peersystem that is coupled to destinations outside of the peer-to-peersystem.

FIG. 23 is a flowchart of one embodiment of a method by which anendpoint within the system of FIG. 22 can determine a route tocommunicate with another endpoint.

FIG. 24 is a simplified diagram of another embodiment of a peer-to-peersystem that is coupled to destinations outside of the peer-to-peersystem.

FIG. 25 is a flowchart of one embodiment of a method by which a mediarouter can facilitate communications between endpoints within the systemof FIG. 24.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure is directed to a system and method forpeer-to-peer hybrid communications. It is understood that the followingdisclosure provides many different embodiments or examples. Specificexamples of components and arrangements are described below to simplifythe present disclosure. These are, of course, merely examples and arenot intended to be limiting. In addition, the present disclosure mayrepeat reference numerals and/or letters in the various examples. Thisrepetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not initself dictate a relationship between the various embodiments and/orconfigurations discussed.

Referring to FIG. 1, one embodiment of a peer-to-peer hybrid system 100is illustrated. The system 100 includes an access server 102 that iscoupled to endpoints 104 and 106 via a packet network 108. Communicationbetween the access server 102, endpoint 104, and endpoint 106 isaccomplished using predefined and publicly available (i.e.,non-proprietary) communication standards or protocols (e.g., thosedefined by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) or theInternational Telecommunications Union-Telecommunications StandardSector (ITU-T)). For example, signaling communications (e.g., sessionsetup, management, and teardown) may use a protocol such as the SessionInitiation Protocol (SIP), while actual data traffic may be communicatedusing a protocol such as the Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP). As willbe seen in the following examples, the use of standard protocols forcommunication enables the endpoints 104 and 106 to communicate with anydevice that uses the same standards. The communications may include, butare not limited to, voice calls, instant messages, audio and video,emails, and any other type of resource transfer, where a resourcerepresents any digital data. In the following description, media trafficis generally based on the user datagram protocol (UDP), whileauthentication is based on the transmission control protocol/internetprotocol (TCP/IP). However, it is understood that these are used forpurposes of example and that other protocols may be used in addition toor instead of UDP and TCP/IP.

Connections between the access server 102, endpoint 104, and endpoint106 may include wireline and/or wireless communication channels. In thefollowing description, it is understood that the term “direct” meansthat there is no endpoint or access server in the communicationchannel(s) between the endpoints 104 and 106, or between either endpointand the access server. Accordingly, the access server 102, endpoint 104,and endpoint 106 are directly connected even if other devices (e.g.,routers, firewalls, and other network elements) are positioned betweenthem. In addition, connections to endpoints, locations, or services maybe subscription based, with an endpoint only having access if theendpoint has a current subscription. Furthermore, the followingdescription may use the terms “user” and “endpoint” interchangeably,although it is understood that a user may be using any of a plurality ofendpoints. Accordingly, if an endpoint logs in to the network, it isunderstood that the user is logging in via the endpoint and that theendpoint represents the user on the network using the user's identity.

The access server 102 stores profile information for a user, a sessiontable to track what users are currently online, and a routing table thatmatches the address of an endpoint to each online user. The profileinformation includes a “buddy list” for each user that identifies otherusers (“buddies”) that have previously agreed to communicate with theuser. Online users on the buddy list will show up when a user logs in,and buddies who log in later will directly notify the user that they areonline (as described with respect to FIG. 4). The access server 102provides the relevant profile information and routing table to each ofthe endpoints 104 and 106 so that the endpoints can communicate directlywith one another. Accordingly, in the present embodiment, one functionof the access server 102 is to serve as a storage location forinformation needed by an endpoint in order to communicate with otherendpoints and as a temporary storage location for requests, voicemails,etc., as will be described later in greater detail.

With additional reference to FIG. 2 a, one embodiment of an architecture200 for the access server 102 of FIG. 1 is illustrated. The architecture200 includes functionality that may be provided by hardware and/orsoftware, and that may be combined into a single hardware platform ordistributed among multiple hardware platforms. For purposes ofillustration, the access server in the following examples is describedas a single device, but it is understood that the term applies equallyto any type of environment (including a distributed environment) inwhich at least a portion of the functionality attributed to the accessserver is present.

In the present example, the architecture includes web services 202(e.g., based on functionality provided by XML, SOAP, .NET, MONO), webserver 204 (using, for example, Apache or IIS), and database 206 (using,for example, mySQL or SQLServer) for storing and retrieving routingtables 208, profiles 210, and one or more session tables 212.Functionality for a STUN (Simple Traversal of UDP through NATs (NetworkAddress Translation)) server 214 is also present in the architecture200. As is known, STUN is a protocol for assisting devices that arebehind a NAT firewall or router with their packet routing. Thearchitecture 200 may also include a redirect server 216 for handlingrequests originating outside of the system 100. One or both of the STUNserver 214 and redirect server 216 may be incorporated into the accessserver 102 or may be a standalone device. In the present embodiment,both the server 204 and the redirect server 216 are coupled to thedatabase 206.

Referring to FIG. 2 b, one embodiment of an architecture 250 for theendpoint 104 (which may be similar or identical to the endpoint 106) ofFIG. 1 is illustrated. It is understood that that term “endpoint” mayrefer to many different devices having some or all of the describedfunctionality, including a computer, a VoIP telephone, a personaldigital assistant, a cellular phone, or any other device having an IPstack upon which the needed protocols may be run. The architecture 250includes an endpoint engine 252 positioned between a graphical userinterface (GUI) 254 and an operating system 256. The GUI 254 providesuser access to the endpoint engine 252, while the operating system 256provides underlying functionality, as is known to those of skill in theart.

The endpoint engine 252 may include multiple components and layers thatsupport the functionality required to perform the operations of theendpoint 104. For example, the endpoint engine 252 includes a softswitch258, a management layer 260, an encryption/decryption module 262, afeature layer 264, a protocol layer 266, a speech-to-text engine 268, atext-to-speech engine 270, a language conversion engine 272, anout-of-network connectivity module 274, a connection from other networksmodule 276, a p-commerce (e.g., peer commerce) engine 278 that includesa p-commerce agent and a p-commerce broker, and a cellular networkinterface module 280.

Each of these components/layers may be further divided into multiplemodules. For example, the softswitch 258 includes a call control module,an instant messaging (IM) control module, a resource control module, aCALEA (Communications Assistance to Law Enforcement Act) agent, a mediacontrol module, a peer control module, a signaling agent, a fax controlmodule, and a routing module.

The management layer 260 includes modules for presence (i.e., networkpresence), peer management (detecting peers and notifying peers of beingonline), firewall management (navigation and management), mediamanagement, resource management, profile management, authentication,roaming, fax management, and media playback/recording management.

The encryption/decryption module 262 provides encryption for outgoingpackets and decryption for incoming packets. In the present example, theencryption/decryption module 262 provides application level encryptionat the source, rather than at the network. However, it is understoodthat the encryption/decryption module 262 may provide encryption at thenetwork in some embodiments.

The feature layer 264 provides support for various features such asvoice, video, IM, data, voicemail, file transfer, file sharing, class 5features, short message service (SMS), interactive voice response (IVR),faxes, and other resources. The protocol layer 266 includes protocolssupported by the endpoint, including SIP, HTTP, HTTPS, STUN, RTP, SRTP,and ICMP. It is understood that these are examples only, and that feweror more protocols may be supported.

The speech-to-text engine 268 converts speech received by the endpoint(e.g., via a microphone or network) into text, the text-to-speech engine270 converts text received by the endpoint into speech (e.g., for outputvia a speaker), and the language conversion engine 272 may be configuredto convert inbound or outbound information (text or speech) from onelanguage to another language. The out-of-network connectivity module 274may be used to handle connections between the endpoint and externaldevices (as described with respect to FIG. 12), and the connection fromother networks module 276 handles incoming connection attempts fromexternal devices. The cellular network interface module 280 may be usedto interact with a wireless network.

With additional reference to FIG. 2 c, the cellular network interfacemodule 280 is illustrated in greater detail. Although not shown in FIG.2 b, the softswitch 258 of the endpoint architecture 250 includes acellular network interface for communication with the cellular networkinterface module 280. In addition, the cellular network interface module280 includes various components such as a call control module, asignaling agent, a media manager, a protocol stack, and a deviceinterface. It is noted that these components may correspond to layerswithin the endpoint architecture 250 and may be incorporated directlyinto the endpoint architecture in some embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 2 d, a traditional softswitch architecture isillustrated with two endpoints 282 and 284, neither of which includes asoftswitch. In the present example, an external softswitch 286 maintainsa first signaling leg (dotted line) with the endpoint 282 and a secondsignaling leg (dotted line) with the endpoint 284. The softswitch 286links the two legs to pass signaling information between the endpoints282 and 284. Media traffic (solid lines) may be transferred between theendpoints 282 and 284 via a media gateway 287.

With additional reference to FIG. 2 e, the traditional softswitcharchitecture of FIG. 2 d is illustrated with a third endpoint 288 thatalso does not include a softswitch. The external softswitch 286 nowmaintains a third signaling leg (dotted line) with the endpoint 288. Inthe present example, a conference call is underway. However, as none ofthe endpoints includes a softswitch, a media bridge 290 connected toeach endpoint is needed for media traffic. Accordingly, each endpointhas at most two concurrent connections—one with the softswitch forsignaling and another with the media bridge for media traffic.

Referring to FIG. 2 f, in one embodiment, unlike the traditionalarchitecture of FIGS. 2 d and 2 e, two endpoints (e.g., the endpoints104 and 106 of FIG. 1) each include a softswitch (e.g., the softswitch258 of FIG. 2 b). Each endpoint is able to establish and maintain bothsignaling and media traffic connections (both virtual and physical legs)with the other endpoint. Accordingly, no external softswitch is needed,as this model uses a distributed softswitch method to handlecommunications directly between the endpoints.

With additional reference to FIG. 2 g, the endpoints 104 and 106 areillustrated with another endpoint 292 that also contains a softswitch.In this example, a conference call is underway with the endpoint 104acting as the host. To accomplish this, the softswitch contained in theendpoint 104 enables the endpoint 104 to support direct signaling andmedia traffic connections with the endpoint 292. The endpoint 104 canthen forward media traffic from the endpoint 106 to the endpoint 292 andvice versa. Accordingly, the endpoint 104 may support multipleconnections to multiple endpoints and, as in FIG. 2 f, no externalsoftswitch is needed.

Referring again to FIG. 2 b, in operation, the softswitch 258 usesfunctionality provided by underlying layers to handle connections withother endpoints and the access server 102, and to handle services neededby the endpoint 104. For example, as is described below in greaterdetail with respect to FIGS. 3 a and 3 b, incoming and outgoing callsmay utilize multiple components within the endpoint architecture 250.

Referring to FIG. 3 a, a sequence diagram 300 illustrates an exemplaryprocess by which the endpoint 104 may initiate a call to the endpoint106 using various components of the architecture 250. Prior to step 302,a user (not shown) initiates a call via the GUI 254. In step 302, theGUI 254 passes a message to the call control module (of the softswitch258) to make the call. The call control module contacts the peer controlmodule (softswitch 258) in step 304, which detects the peer (if notalready done), goes to the routing table (softswitch 258) for therouting information, and performs similar operations. It is understoodthat not all interactions are illustrated. For example, the peer controlmodule may utilize the peer management module (of the management layer260) for the peer detection. The call control module then identifies aroute for the call in step 306, and sends message to the SIP protocollayer (of the protocol layer 266) to make the call in step 308. In step310, the outbound message is encrypted (using the encryption/decryptionmodule 262) and the message is sent to the network via the OS 256 instep 312.

After the message is sent and prior to receiving a response, the callcontrol module instructs the media control module (softswitch 258) toestablish the needed near-end media in step 314. The media controlmodule passes the instruction to the media manager (of the managementlayer 260) in step 316, which handles the establishment of the near-endmedia.

With additional reference to FIG. 3 b, the message sent by the endpoint104 in step 312 (FIG. 3 a) is received by the endpoint 106 and passedfrom the OS to the SIP protocol layer in step 352. The message isdecrypted in step 354 and the call is offered to the call control modulein step 356. The call control module notifies the GUI of an incomingcall in step 358 and the GUI receives input identifying whether the callis accepted or rejected (e.g., by a user) in step 360. In the presentexample, the call is accepted and the GUI passes the acceptance to thecall control module in step 362. The call control module contacts thepeer control module in step 364, which identifies a route to the callingendpoint and returns the route to the call control module in step 366.In steps 368 and 370, the call control module informs the SIP protocollayer that the call has been accepted and the message is encrypted usingthe encryption/decryption module. The acceptance message is then sent tothe network via the OS in step 372.

In the present example, after the call control module passes theacceptance message to the SIP protocol layer, other steps may occur toprepare the endpoint 106 for the call. For example, the call controlmodule instructs the media control module to establish near-end media instep 374, and the media control module instructs the media manager tostart listening to incoming media in step 376. The call control modulealso instructs the media control module to establish far-end media (step378), and the media control module instructs the media manager to starttransmitting audio in step 380.

Returning to FIG. 3 a, the message sent by the endpoint 106 (step 372)is received by the OS and passed on to the SIP protocol layer in step318 and decrypted in step 320. The message (indicating that the call hasbeen accepted) is passed to the call control module in step 322 and fromthere to the GUI in step 324. The call control module then instructs themedia control module to establish far-end media in step 326, and themedia control module instructs the media manager to start transmittingaudio in step 328.

The following figures are sequence diagrams that illustrate variousexemplary functions and operations by which the access server 102 andthe endpoints 104 and 106 may communicate. It is understood that thesediagrams are not exhaustive and that various steps may be excluded fromthe diagrams to clarify the aspect being described.

Referring to FIG. 4 (and using the endpoint 104 as an example), asequence diagram 400 illustrates an exemplary process by which theendpoint 104 may authenticate with the access server 102 and thencommunicate with the endpoint 106. As will be described, afterauthentication, all communication (both signaling and media traffic)between the endpoints 104 and 106 occurs directly without anyintervention by the access server 102. In the present example, it isunderstood that neither endpoint is online at the beginning of thesequence, and that the endpoints 104 and 106 are “buddies.” As describedabove, buddies are endpoints that have both previously agreed tocommunicate with one another.

In step 402, the endpoint 104 sends a registration and/or authenticationrequest message to the access server 102. If the endpoint 104 is notregistered with the access server 102, the access server will receivethe registration request (e.g., user ID, password, and email address)and will create a profile for the endpoint (not shown). The user ID andpassword will then be used to authenticate the endpoint 104 during laterlogins. It is understood that the user ID and password may enable theuser to authenticate from any endpoint, rather than only the endpoint104.

Upon authentication, the access server 102 updates a session tableresiding on the server to indicate that the user ID currently associatedwith the endpoint 104 is online. The access server 102 also retrieves abuddy list associated with the user ID currently used by the endpoint104 and identifies which of the buddies (if any) are online using thesession table. As the endpoint 106 is currently offline, the buddy listwill reflect this status. The access server 102 then sends the profileinformation (e.g., the buddy list) and a routing table to the endpoint104 in step 404. The routing table contains address information foronline members of the buddy list. It is understood that steps 402 and404 represent a make and break connection that is broken after theendpoint 104 receives the profile information and routing table.

In steps 406 and 408, the endpoint 106 and access server 102 repeatsteps 402 and 404 as described for the endpoint 104. However, becausethe endpoint 104 is online when the endpoint 106 is authenticated, theprofile information sent to the endpoint 106 will reflect the onlinestatus of the endpoint 104 and the routing table will identify how todirectly contact it. Accordingly, in step 410, the endpoint 106 sends amessage directly to the endpoint 104 to notify the endpoint 104 that theendpoint 106 is now online. This also provides the endpoint 104 with theaddress information needed to communicate directly with the endpoint106. In step 412, one or more communication sessions may be establisheddirectly between the endpoints 104 and 106.

Referring to FIG. 5, a sequence diagram 500 illustrates an exemplaryprocess by which authentication of an endpoint (e.g., the endpoint 104)may occur. In addition, after authentication, the endpoint 104 maydetermine whether it can communicate with the endpoint 106. In thepresent example, the endpoint 106 is online when the sequence begins.

In step 502, the endpoint 104 sends a request to the STUN server 214 ofFIG. 2. As is known, the STUN server determines an outbound IP address(e.g., the external address of a device (i.e., a firewall, router, etc.)behind which the endpoint 104 is located), an external port, and a typeof NAT used by the device. The type of NAT may be, for example, fullcone, restricted cone, port restricted cone, or symmetric. As these areknown in the art, they will not be described herein in greater detail.The STUN server 214 sends a STUN response back to the endpoint 104 instep 504 with the collected information about the endpoint 104.

In step 506, the endpoint 104 sends an authentication request to theaccess server 102. The request contains the information about endpoint104 received from the STUN server 214. In step 508, the access server102 responds to the request by sending the relevant profile and routingtable to the endpoint 104. The profile contains the external IP address,port, and NAT type for each of the buddies that are online.

In step 510, the endpoint 104 sends a message to notify the endpoint 106of its online status (as the endpoint 106 is already online) and, instep 512, the endpoint 104 waits for a response. After the expiration ofa timeout period within which no response is received from the endpoint106, the endpoint 104 will change the status of the endpoint 106 from“online” (as indicated by the downloaded profile information) to“unreachable.” The status of a buddy may be indicated on a visual buddylist by the color of an icon associated with each buddy. For example,when logging in, online buddies may be denoted by a blue icon andoffline buddies may be denoted by a red icon. If a response to a notifymessage is received for a buddy, the icon representing that buddy may bechanged from blue to green to denote the buddy's online status. If noresponse is received, the icon remains blue to indicate that the buddyis unreachable. Although not shown, a message sent from the endpoint 106and received by the endpoint 104 after step 514 would indicate that theendpoint 106 is now reachable and would cause the endpoint 104 to changethe status of the endpoint 106 to online. Similarly, if the endpoint 104later sends a message to the endpoint 106 and receives a response, thenthe endpoint 104 would change the status of the endpoint 106 to online.

It is understood that other embodiments may implement alternate NATtraversal techniques. For example, a single payload technique may beused in which TCP/IP packets are used to traverse a UDP restrictedfirewall or router. Another example includes the use of a double payloadin which a UDP packet is inserted into a TCP/IP packet. Furthermore, itis understood that protocols other than STUN may be used. For example,protocols such as Internet Connectivity Establishment (ICE) or TraversalUsing Relay NAT (TURN) may be used.

Referring to FIG. 6, a sequence diagram 600 illustrates an exemplaryprocess by which the access server 102 may aid the endpoint 104 inestablishing communications with the endpoint 106 (which is a buddy).After rendering aid, the access server 102 is no longer involved and theendpoints may communicate directly. In the present example, the endpoint106 is behind a NAT device that will only let a message in (towards theendpoint 106) if the endpoint 106 has sent a message out. Unless thisprocess is bypassed, the endpoint 104 will be unable to connect to theendpoint 106. For example, the endpoint 104 will be unable to notify theendpoint 106 that it is now online.

In step 602, the endpoint 106 sends a request to the STUN server 214 ofFIG. 2. As described previously, the STUN server determines an outboundIP address, an external port, and a type of NAT for the endpoint 106.The STUN server 214 sends a STUN response back to the endpoint 106 instep 604 with the collected information about the endpoint 106. In step606, the endpoint 106 sends an authentication request to the accessserver 102. The request contains the information about endpoint 106received from the STUN server 214. In step 608, the access server 102responds to the request by sending the relevant profile and routingtable to the endpoint 106. In the present example, the access server 102identifies the NAT type associated with the endpoint 106 as being a typethat requires an outbound packet to be sent before an inbound packet isallowed to enter. Accordingly, the access server 102 instructs theendpoint 106 to send periodic messages to the access server 102 toestablish and maintain a pinhole through the NAT device. For example,the endpoint 106 may send a message prior to the timeout period of theNAT device in order to reset the timeout period. In this manner, thepinhole may be kept open indefinitely.

In steps 612 and 614, the endpoint 104 sends a STUN request to the STUNserver 214 and the STUN server responds as previously described. In step616, the endpoint 104 sends an authentication request to the accessserver 102. The access server 102 retrieves the buddy list for theendpoint 104 and identifies the endpoint 106 as being associated with aNAT type that will block communications from the endpoint 104.Accordingly, in step 618, the access server 102 sends an assist messageto the endpoint 106. The assist message instructs the endpoint 106 tosend a message to the endpoint 104, which opens a pinhole in the NATdevice for the endpoint 104. For security purposes, as the access server102 has the STUN information for the endpoint 104, the pinhole opened bythe endpoint 106 may be specifically limited to the endpoint associatedwith the STUN information. Furthermore, the access server 102 may notrequest such a pinhole for an endpoint that is not on the buddy list ofthe endpoint 106.

The access server 104 sends the profile and routing table to theendpoint 104 in step 620. In step 622, the endpoint 106 sends a message(e.g., a ping packet) to the endpoint 104. The endpoint 104 may thenrespond to the message and notify the endpoint 106 that it is nowonline. If the endpoint 106 does not receive a reply from the endpoint104 within a predefined period of time, it may close the pinhole (whichmay occur simply by not sending another message and letting the pinholetime out). Accordingly, the difficulty presented by the NAT device maybe overcome using the assist message, and communications between the twoendpoints may then occur without intervention by the access server 102.

Referring to FIG. 7, a sequence diagram 700 illustrates an exemplaryprocess by which the endpoint 106 may request that it be added to theendpoint 104's buddy list. In the present example, the endpoints 104 and106 both remain online during the entire process.

In step 702, the endpoint 104 sends a registration and/or authenticationrequest message to the access server 102 as described previously. Uponauthentication, the access server 102 updates a session table residingon the server to indicate that the user ID currently associated with theendpoint 104 is online. The access server 102 also retrieves a buddylist associated with the user ID currently used by the endpoint 104 andidentifies which of the buddies (if any) are online using the sessiontable. As the endpoint 106 is not currently on the buddy list, it willnot be present. The access server 102 then sends the profile informationand a routing table to the endpoint 104 in step 704.

In steps 706 and 708, the endpoint 106 and access server 102 repeatsteps 702 and 704 as described for the endpoint 104. The profileinformation sent by the access server 102 to the endpoint 106 will notinclude the endpoint 104 because the two endpoints are not buddies.

In step 710, the endpoint 106 sends a message to the access server 102requesting that the endpoint 104 be added to its buddy list. The accessserver 102 determines that the endpoint 104 is online (e.g., using thesession table) in step 712 and sends the address for the endpoint 104 tothe endpoint 106 in step 714. In step 716, the endpoint 106 sends amessage directly to the endpoint 104 requesting that the endpoint 106 beadded to its buddy list. The endpoint 104 responds to the endpoint 106in step 718 with either permission or a denial, and the endpoint 104also updates the access server 102 with the response in step 720. Forexample, if the response grants permission, then the endpoint 104informs the access server 102 so that the access server can modify theprofile of both endpoints to reflect the new relationship. It isunderstood that various other actions may be taken. For example, if theendpoint 104 denies the request, then the access server 102 may notrespond to another request by the endpoint 106 (with respect to theendpoint 104) until a period of time has elapsed.

It is understood that many different operations may be performed withrespect to a buddy list. For example, buddies may be deleted,blocked/unblocked, buddy status may be updated, and a buddy profile maybe updated. For block/unblock, as well as status and profile updates, amessage is first sent to the access server 102 by the endpointrequesting the action (e.g., the endpoint 104). Following the accessserver 102 update, the endpoint 104 sends a message to the peer beingaffected by the action (e.g., the endpoint 106).

Buddy deletion may be handled as follows. If the user of the endpoint104 wants to delete a contact on a buddy list currently associated withthe online endpoint 106, the endpoint 104 will first notify the accessserver 102 that the buddy is being deleted. The access server 102 thenupdates the profile of both users so that neither buddy list shows theother user as a buddy. Note that, in this instance, a unilateral actionby one user will alter the profile of the other user. The endpoint 104then sends a message directly to the endpoint 106 to remove the buddy(the user of the endpoint 104) from the buddy list of the user ofendpoint 106 in real time. Accordingly, even though the user is onlineat endpoint 106, the user of the endpoint 104 will be removed from thebuddy list of the endpoint 106

Referring to FIG. 8, a sequence diagram 800 illustrates an exemplaryprocess by which the endpoint 106 may request that it be added to theendpoint 104's buddy list. In the present example, the endpoint 104 isnot online until after the endpoint 106 has made its request.

In step 802, the endpoint 106 sends a registration and/or authenticationrequest message to the access server 102 as described previously. Uponauthentication, the access server 102 updates a session table residingon the server to indicate that the user ID currently associated with theendpoint 106 is online. The access server 102 also retrieves a buddylist associated with the user ID currently used by the endpoint 106 andidentifies which of the buddies (if any) are online using the sessiontable. The access server 102 then sends the profile information and arouting table to the endpoint 106 in step 804.

In step 806, the endpoint 106 sends a message to the access server 102requesting that the endpoint 104 be added to its buddy list. The accessserver 102 determines that the endpoint 104 is offline in step 808 andtemporarily stores the request message in step 810. In steps 812 and814, the endpoint 104 and access server 102 repeat steps 802 and 804 asdescribed for the endpoint 106. However, when the access server 102sends the profile information and routing table to the endpoint 104, italso sends the request by the endpoint 106 (including addressinformation for the endpoint 106).

In step 816, the endpoint 104 responds directly to the endpoint 106 witheither permission or a denial. The endpoint 104 then updates the accessserver 102 with the result of the response in step 818 and alsoinstructs the access server to delete the temporarily stored request.

Referring to FIG. 9, a sequence diagram 900 illustrates an exemplaryprocess by which the endpoint 106 may request that it be added to theendpoint 104's buddy list. In the present example, the endpoint 104 isnot online until after the endpoint 106 has made its request, and theendpoint 106 is not online to receive the response by endpoint 104.

In step 902, the endpoint 106 sends a registration and/or authenticationrequest message to the access server 102 as described previously. Uponauthentication, the access server 102 updates a session table residingon the server to indicate that the user ID currently associated with theendpoint 106 is online. The access server 102 also retrieves a buddylist associated with the user ID currently used by the endpoint 106 andidentifies which of the buddies (if any) are online using the sessiontable. The access server 102 then sends the profile information and arouting table to the endpoint 106 in step 904.

In step 906, the endpoint 106 sends a message to the access server 102requesting that the endpoint 104 be added to its buddy list. The accessserver 102 determines that the endpoint 104 is offline in step 908 andtemporarily stores the request message in step 910. In step 912, theendpoint 106 notifies the access server 102 that it is going offline.

In steps 914 and 916, the endpoint 104 and access server 102 repeatsteps 902 and 904 as described for the endpoint 106. However, when theaccess server 102 sends the profile information and routing table to theendpoint 104, it also sends the request by the endpoint 106. Endpoint104 sends its response to the access server 102 in step 918 and alsoinstructs the access server to delete the temporarily stored request.After the endpoint 106's next authentication process, its profileinformation will include endpoint 104 as a buddy (assuming the endpoint104 granted permission).

Referring to FIG. 10, a sequence diagram 1000 illustrates an exemplaryprocess by which the endpoint 106 may store a voicemail for the endpoint104. In the present example, the endpoint 106 is online, but is notavailable to take the call.

In step 1002, the endpoint 104 sends a call request message to theendpoint 106 requesting that a call be established between the twoendpoints. In step 1004, the endpoint 106 responds with a messageindicating that it is busy and cannot take the call. In step 1006, afterrecording a voicemail (not shown), the endpoint 104 sends the voicemailto the access server 102, which temporarily stores the voicemail in step1008. The endpoint 104 then sends a message (e.g., a message waitingindicator (MWI)) to the endpoint 106 in step 1010 before sending thevoicemail to the endpoint 106 in step 1012. The endpoint 106 receivesthe voicemail in step 1014 (e.g., after ending the previous call) andinstructs the access server 102 to delete the temporarily storedvoicemail in step 1016. It is understood that the endpoint 106 mayperform many different actions with respect to the voicemail, includingsaving, forwarding, responding, etc.

Referring to FIG. 11, a sequence diagram 1100 illustrates an exemplaryprocess by which the endpoint 106 may receive a voicemail from theendpoint 104. In the present example, the endpoint 106 is offline whenthe voicemail is recorded and sent. In step 1102, the endpoint 104determines that the endpoint 106 is offline. As described previously,such a determination may be made based on the fact that the endpoint 106was not online when the endpoint 104 was authenticated (as indicated bythe profile information from the access server 102) and has not sincelogged in (as it would have notified the endpoint 104 as described withrespect to FIG. 4). As the endpoint 106 is offline, the endpoint 104sends a recorded voicemail to the access server 102 in step 1104, whichtemporarily stores the voicemail in step 1106. The endpoint 106authenticates with the access server 102 in step 1108 as previouslydescribed, and the access server sends the endpoint 106 the relevantprofile information and routing table in step 1110. In addition to theinformation normally sent to the endpoint 106 after authentication, theaccess server 102 sends a message such as a message waiting indicator toinform the endpoint 106 of the stored voicemail. In steps 1112 and 1114,the endpoint 106 retrieves the recorded voicemail and instructs theaccess point 102 to delete the voicemail from the server.

Referring to FIG. 12, in another embodiment, the system 100 of FIG. 1 isillustrated as a “home system” that forms part of a larger system 1200.The home system includes all endpoints that have registered with theaccess server 102. In addition to the home system 100, a number ofexternal (relative to the home system 100) devices are illustrated,including an external endpoint 1202 (e.g., a SIP capable such as a SIPtelephone, a computer, a personal digital assistant, a householdappliance, or an automated control system for a business or residence).Additional external devices include a gateway 1204 and an IPPBX 1206,both of which are coupled to a PSTN 1208. The gateway 1204 is alsocoupled to a cellular network 1210, which includes an radio accessnetwork, core network, and other cellular network components (notshown). In the present example, both the gateway 1204 and the IPPBX 1206include a non-proprietary interface (e.g., a SIP interface) that enablesthem to communicate directly with the SIP-based endpoints 104 and 106.It is understood that various portions of the system 1200 may includewired and/or wireless interfaces and components.

The endpoints 104 and 106 that are within the home system 100 areauthenticated by the access server 102 using user-supplied credentials(as previously described). Communication may occur directly between theendpoints 104, 106 and devices outside of the home system 100 asfollows. The access server 102 serves as a routing table repository. Asdescribed previously, a routing table contains information needed by theendpoints 104, 106 in order to connect to buddies within the homenetwork 100. In the present example, the routing table (or anotherrouting table) also contains information needed by the endpoints 104,106 in order to connect to the external devices. Connections to externaldevices, locations, or services may be subscription based, with therouting table for a particular endpoint only having address informationfor external devices for which the endpoint has a current subscription.For example, the profile associated with the endpoint 104 may have aflag representing whether the endpoint is subscribed to a service suchas a PSTN calling plan.

Referring to FIG. 13, a sequence diagram 1300 illustrates an exemplaryprocess by which the endpoint 104 may directly contact the externalendpoint 1202 within the system 1200 of FIG. 12. The endpoint 1202 isonline and the endpoint 104 has the authority (e.g., a subscription) tocontact the endpoint 1202. Although the present example uses SIP forsignaling and RTP for media traffic, it is understood that otherprotocols may be used.

In step 1302, the endpoint 104 sends an authentication request messageto the access server 102 as described previously. After authentication,the access server 102 sends the profile information and a routing tableto the endpoint 104 in step 1304. After the endpoint 104 has beenauthenticated, the user of the endpoint places a call (e.g., a VoIPcall) to the endpoint 1202. In step 1306, the endpoint 104 performsdigit collection and analysis on the number entered by the user. Asendpoint 104 contains both the routing table and a softswitch, theendpoint is able to identify and place the call directly to the endpoint1202.

In step 1308, the endpoints 104 and 106 setup the call. For example, theendpoint 104 may sent a SIP INVITE message directly to the endpoint1202. The endpoint 104 must provide any credentials required by theendpoint 1202. The endpoint 1202 responds with a 200 OK message and theendpoint 104 responds with an ACK message. The endpoints 104 and 1202may then use an RTP session (step 1310) for the VoIP call. After the RTPsession is complete, call teardown occurs in step 1312. Accordingly, asdescribed in the previous examples between endpoints in the home system100, the endpoint 104 directly contacts the endpoint 1202 (or gateway1204 or IPPBX 1206) without intervention by the access server 102 afterdownloading the profile and routing table during authentication.

Another external endpoint 1212 may be contacted in the same manner asthe endpoint 1202, although the communications will need to be routedthrough the gateway 1204 and cellular network 1210. As with the endpoint1202, the endpoint 104 may contact the endpoint 1212 directly withoutintervention from the access server 102.

Referring to FIG. 14, a method 1400 illustrates one possible sequence ofevents for utilizing the routing tables of the access server 102 forexternal communications. The method begins in step 1402 when an endpoint(e.g., the endpoint 104) authenticates with the access server 102. Theendpoint 104 downloads one or more routing tables in step 1404,depending on such factors as whether the endpoint 104 has a subscriptionto a relevant service (e.g., whether the endpoint 104 allowed to calloutside of the home network). The routing tables are downloaded in a rawdata format, and the endpoint 104 processes the raw data in step 1406 toproduce optimal routing rules in step 1408. At this point, the endpoint104 may use the routing rules to communicate with other endpoints.

The routing tables may change on the access server 102. For example, anew service area or new subscription options may become accessible.However, unless the endpoint 104 logs off and back on, the endpoint willnot be aware of these changes. Accordingly, the access server 102 sendsa notification in step 1410 that changes have occurred to the routingtables. In step 1412, the endpoint 104 determines whether a change hasoccurred with respect to the routing tables on the endpoint. Forexample, if the endpoint 104 just logged on, it may have the updatedrouting tables. Alternatively or additionally, the notification may notindicate which routing tables have changed, and the endpoint 104 willneed to determine if any of the routing tables that it uses havechanged.

If the routing tables have changed, the endpoint 104 makes adetermination in step 1414 as to whether the change is relatively largeor is minor. If the change is large, the method returns to step 1404,where the routing tables are downloaded. If the changes are minor, themethod continues to step 1416, where the endpoint 104 updates itsrouting tables (e.g., the endpoint 104 downloads only the changedinformation). It is understood that some processing may be needed toprepare the new information for insertion into the existing routingrules.

If a call to an external device is to be placed (step 1418), theendpoint 104 determines whether it has a match in its routing rules instep 1420. If a match exists, the endpoint 104 uses the routing rules toroute the call to an appropriate gateway or endpoint in step 1422. If nomatch exists, the endpoint 104 has insufficient information to route thecall (step 1424) and ends the call process.

Referring to FIG. 15, a sequence diagram 1500 illustrates an exemplaryprocess by which the external endpoint 1202 may attempt to establishcontact with the endpoint 104 within the system 1200 of FIG. 12 usingSIP messaging. In step 1502, the endpoint 1202 sends a SIP INVITEmessage to a redirect server (e.g., the redirect server 216 of FIG. 2a). The redirect server 216 accesses a database (e.g., the database 206of FIG. 2 a) in step 1504 and obtains contact information for theendpoint 104. The information may also include credentials (e.g., ausername and password) required by the endpoint 104. If credentials arerequired, the redirect server 216 sends a message to the endpoint 1202in step 1506 requesting the credentials. The endpoint 1202 responds tothe credentials request in step 1508 by sending a SIP INVITE containingthe credentials to the redirect server 216. The redirect server 216 thensends a redirect message to the endpoint 1202 with the addressinformation for the endpoint 104 in step 1510. In step 1512, theendpoint 1202 may then directly contact the endpoint 104 with a SIPINVITE message. If the endpoint 104 is not available (e.g., offline),the redirect server 216 may send a message to the endpoint 1202 that theendpoint 104 is not available.

Referring again to FIG. 12, in the present example, the home system 100includes a resource server 1214. Although the resource server 1214 maybe part of the access server 102, it is separated into a separate serverfor purposes of illustration. The access server 102 and resource server1214 may be in communication with one another (not shown) for purposesof identifying access rights and similar issues. The resource server1214 stores and distributes various resources to the endpoints 104 and106. As described previously, a resource represents any type of digitaldata. In operation, an endpoint (e.g., the endpoint 104) may store aresource on the resource server 1214 for later retrieval by the endpoint106 or may transfer the resource directly to the endpoint 106.Furthermore, the resource server 1214 may distribute the resource to theendpoint 106, as well as to other endpoints. In this manner, theresource server 1214 may serve as temporary or permanent storage. Insome embodiments, the resource server 1214 may restrict access based oncredentials provided by the endpoints 104 and 106. For example, if theendpoint 104 only has the credentials for certain resources, then theresource server may limit the endpoint's access to those resources.Communication between an endpoint and the resource server occursdirectly as described above with respect to two endpoints.

It is understood that many different methods may be implemented usingthe endpoints and/or access server described above. Various methods aredescribed below as examples, but it is understood that many othermethods or variations of methods are possible.

In one embodiment, a port rotation method may be implemented that allowsfor changing/rotating the port used to listen for communications toprovide added security. The rotation may occur during idle time of theoperation of the endpoint. For example, when idle time is detected, arandom unused port is selected. The endpoint then informs the accessserver of the new route information and sends out a peer-to-peernotification to all online buddies to notify them of the change in theport/route information.

In another embodiment, wireless calls may be made through an endpoint.For example, a method may be implemented that allows for a directinterface (e.g., using the cellular network interface 280 of FIG. 2 b)to 3G or any similar wireless network directly from the endpoint in apeer-to-peer hybrid system. When the endpoint is activated, the wirelessmodule informs the wireless network of its presence. At this point,calls can be sent to and received from the wireless network. Theendpoint can also bridge calls from the wireless side to the IP side ofthe network. For example, if a call is received from a wireless phone atthe endpoint via the wireless interface, the endpoint's user can chooseto route calls to any buddy endpoints on the IP side of the network.This bridging functionality is another capability of the endpoint.Similarly, calls received on the IP side can be bridged to the wirelessside.

Referring to FIG. 16, in another embodiment, a method 1600 may be usedwith interactive voice response (IVR) (e.g., the IVR support provided bythe feature layer 264 of FIG. 2 b) to automatically handle calls when anauto-attendant is turned on. The auto-attendant provides functionalitythat allows users to perform other tasks when they are busy or notpresent to attend to calls or other forms of communication. The method1600 may automatically terminate calls on behalf of the user and performother tasks as defined by the user (e.g., leave a message or be routedto another destination).

In the present example, the method 1600 begins in step 1602 when theendpoint (e.g., the endpoint 104) receives a call. In step 1604, adetermination is made as to whether the auto-attendant is enabled (e.g.,whether IVR functionality is on). If it is not enabled, the methodcontinues to step 1606, where the call is processed normally. If it isenabled, the call is accepted and the IVR functionality is started instep 1608. In step 1610, the call is connected.

Referring to FIG. 17, in still another embodiment, a method 1700 may beused to provide wiretap functionality on an endpoint (e.g., the endpoint104). Such functionality may be provided, for example, by the CALEAagent of the softswitch 258 of FIG. 2 b. The method begins in step 1702when the endpoint 104 makes or received a call. If the endpoint is beingtapped, as determined in step 1704, the method will continue to step1706, where the start of the call will be logged. The method 1700 thencontinues to step 1708, where the call is established. If the endpointis not being tapped, the method skips step 1706 and proceeds directly tostep 1708. In step 1710, a determination is made as to whether mediaassociated with the call is to be captured. If so, the media is capturedand securely streamed to a designated law enforcement agency in step1712. The method then continues to step 1714, where call tear downoccurs after the call is ended. If no media is to be captured, themethod proceeds directly from step 1710 to step 1714. In step 1718, theend of the call is logged (if a wiretap is enabled as determined in step1716) and the endpoint 104 returns to an idle state in step 1720. In thepresent example, the log information is also securely streamed to thelaw enforcement agency as it is captured.

In another embodiment, a Find Me Follow Me (roaming) method may be usedto provide simultaneous multiple sessions for the endpoint in thepeer-to-peer hybrid environment. The endpoints can be signed in atmultiple locations to access services offered and communicate directlyin a peer-to-peer manner with other endpoints that are buddies. In thismethod, when one endpoint tries to contact his/her buddy, if the buddyis signed on at multiple locations, the originating buddy sends outmessages to all signed in locations of the buddy. When the endpointresponds from any one of the multiple signed in locations, requests toother endpoints are dropped and communication is continued with theendpoint that has accepted the request for communication.

Referring to FIG. 18, in still another embodiment, a sequence diagram1800 illustrates an exemplary process by which the endpoint 104 maystream data in real time to one or more other buddy endpoints 106 and292 (FIG. 2 g), either one at a time or simultaneously. In steps 1802and 1804, respectively, the originating endpoint (e.g., the endpoint104) sends out a request to stream data to the endpoints 106 and 292.The endpoints receiving the request may respond with messages eitheraccepting or rejecting the request (steps 1806 and 1808). Once therequest is accepted (as indicated in step 1810), the data stream is sentout to all buddies that have accepted the request for the data stream(steps 1812 and 1814). On the terminating endpoints 106 and 292, theuser chooses an application that can handle the processing of the datastream to utilize the data. It is understood that some applications maybe automatically selected by the endpoint for recognized or predefineddata types. The streams are then processed by the relevant endpoint(steps 1816 and 1818). In steps 1820 and 1822, respectively, theendpoint 104 sends out a request to the endpoints 106 and 292 toterminate the stream. The endpoints 106 and 292 stop their processing insteps 1824 and 1826, respectively.

In yet another embodiment, a method for Smart IM™ (as developed byDamaka, Inc., of Richardson, Tex.) or Enhanced IM may be used to converttextual data sent to and received by the endpoint into speech byemploying a text-to-speech recognition system in real-time. Textual datacan be received from the network or locally for conversion tospeech/voice signals for playback. Such functionality may be provided,for example, by the text-to-speech engine 270 of FIG. 2 b.

In another embodiment, a method to convert speech/voice data that issent to and received by the endpoint into text form by employing aspeech-to-text system in real-time. Speech/voice data can be receivedfrom the network or locally for conversion to text data for processingby the user. Such functionality may be provided, for example, by thespeech-to-text engine 268 of FIG. 2 b.

In one embodiment, a method may be used to provide correction services(e.g., spell check) on textual data being sent/received by the endpoint.In another embodiment, a method may provide functionality to allow auser to search the world wide web or internet via search engines foradditional information related to textual data being sent/received bythe endpoint. In yet another embodiment, a method may providefunctionality for performing language conversion on textual data beingsent/received by the endpoint using one or more language conversionengines (e.g., the language conversion engine 272 of FIG. 2 b).

In still another embodiment, a method may provide functionality enablingtextual data received by the endpoint to be archived on the endpoint forlater retrieval. For example, a database (e.g., SQL) engine may be usedto store and index data received by the endpoint from a buddy for fasterretrieval. A standard query interface may then be used to store/retrievedata for presentation to the user.

In another embodiment, a method may be used to provide SMSfunctionality. Such functionality may be provided, for example, by theSMS feature of the feature layer 264 of FIG. 2 b. For example, an SMStable may be downloaded with the routing table when an endpoint logsonto the network. If the endpoint has a mobile setting, the endpoint maybe able to communicate directly via the SMS functionality.

Referring to FIG. 19, in another embodiment, a sequence diagram 1900illustrates an exemplary process by which the endpoint 104 may initiatea private transaction (e.g., make an offer for sale or start an auctionprocess) to buddies represented by endpoints 106 and 292 (FIG. 2 g). Insteps 1902 and 1904, respectively, the endpoint 104 sends a messagecontaining an offer to sale one or more items to the endpoints 106 and292. In steps 1906 and 1908, respectively, the endpoints 106 and 292 mayreturn messages accepting or rejecting the offer, or making acounteroffer. The user of the endpoint 104 may review the receivedmessages and accept one, reject both, reply to one or both with anadditional counteroffer, etc., in step 1910. This process (offer,response, review) may continue until the offer is either finallyaccepted or rejected. In the present example, because the interactionoccurs between buddies, the actual financial transaction may not occurelectronically.

Referring to FIG. 20, in yet another embodiment, a sequence diagram 2000illustrates an exemplary process by which the endpoint 104 may initiatea public transaction (e.g., make an offer or start an auction process).In step 2002, the endpoint 104 sends a message to the access server 102to post a sale. The message contains information such as a descriptionof the item for sale, a starting price, and the start/end dates of theauction. In step 2004, the endpoint 106 (which is not a buddy in thepresent example) obtains the sale information from the server. Theobtained information includes a “substitute ID” of the endpoint 104 andassociated address information. The substitute ID, which may be assignedto the endpoint 104 exclusively for the sale, enables the endpoint 106to contact the endpoint 104 directly without obtaining the actual ID ofthe user of the endpoint 104. Accordingly, when the sale ends, theendpoint 106 will no longer be able to contact the endpoint 104.

In step 2006, the endpoint 106 sends a message directly to the endpoint104 with a bid. In step 2008, the endpoint 104 updates the informationon the access server with the bid and bidder information. Although notshown, buddy endpoints may also bid on the posted item. In step 2010,the user of the endpoint 104 reviews the bids, selects a winner (if awinner exists), and notifies the winner directly (step 2012). In step2014, the sale transaction is handled. In the present example, becausethe transaction may occur between parties that are not buddies, thetransaction may be accomplished via a third party clearinghouse.However, if a buddy won the sale, the parties may revert to a privatetransaction. Additionally, it is understood that any parties (whether ornot they are buddies) may arrange the transaction as desired. In someembodiments, the process may include directly or indirectly notifyinginvolved parties of a pending bid, notifying involved parties ofaccepted/rejected bids, etc. The seller may also accept any bid desired(e.g., not only the highest bid) and may end the bidding at any time. Ifan endpoint is offline when bidding occurs (e.g., if the endpoint 104 isoffline when the message of step 2006 is sent or if the endpoint 106 isoffline when the message of step 2012 is sent), the message may bedownloaded during authentication when the endpoint logs in as previouslydescribed.

Referring to FIG. 21, in still another embodiment, a sequence diagram2100 illustrates an exemplary process by which the endpoint 104 mayinitiate a conference call with other endpoints (e.g., the endpoints 106and 1202, both of which are buddies with the endpoint 104 in the presentexample). It is noted that the endpoints 106 and 1202 may or may not bebuddies with each other. In steps 2102 and 2104, respectively, theendpoint 104 sends a request to join a conference call to the endpoints106 and 1202. The endpoints 106 and 1202 respond in steps 2106 and 2108,respectively, by either accepting or rejecting the request. In thepresent example, both endpoints 106 and 1202 accept the request (asindicated by step 2110).

The endpoint 104 may then send media (e.g., text or voice information)to the endpoints 106 and 1202 in steps 2112 and 2114, respectively.Incoming media (e.g., from the endpoint 106) is received by the endpoint104 in step 2116 and sent to the endpoint 1202 by the endpoint 104 instep 2118. In the present example, rather than multicasting theinformation, the endpoint 104 hosts the conference call by using aseparate peer-to-peer connection with each endpoint. As the endpoints106 and 1202 are connected in the conference call via the endpoint 104and are not communicating with each other directly, the endpoints 106and 1202 do not need to be buddies. Accordingly, the endpoint 104 in thepresent example may have two routing entries associated with theconference call: one routing entry for endpoint 106 and another routingentry for endpoint 1202. In other embodiments, multicasting may be usedto transmit the data from the endpoint 104 to the endpoints 106 and1202.

It is understood that the process described with respect to FIG. 21 maybe applied to other scenarios. For example, the endpoint 104 may serveas the host for a multiplayer game. Incoming data may then bedistributed by the endpoint to other endpoints that are associated withthe hosted game.

Referring to FIG. 22, in another embodiment, a network environment 2200includes the system 100, which itself contains the access server 102that is coupled to endpoint 104 via packet network 108. In the presentexample, the endpoint 104 is coupled to an endpoint 2202 via a PSTN 2204and a PSTN gateway 2206 or 2208. The endpoint 2202, PSTN 2204, and PSTNgateways 2206 and 2208 are not part of the system 100 (e.g., theenvironment 2200 is a heterogeneous network environment). As illustratedin FIG. 22, there is no gateway positioned within the system 100 tocouple the endpoint 104 with either of the PSTN gateways 2206 or 2208.Accordingly, the endpoint 104 should be able to select and connectdirectly to one of the PSTN gateways 2206 or 2208 in order to connect tothe endpoint 2202.

With additional reference to FIG. 23, a method 2300 illustrates oneprocess for dynamically selecting a gateway by the endpoint 104. In step2302, the endpoint 104 performs digit collection. For example, theendpoint 104 may receive input from a user and collect the input asdigits for a telephone number. In step 2304, once the digit collectionis complete, the endpoint 104 performs digit analysis to identify thecalled number (e.g., the number corresponding to the endpoint 2202). Instep 2306, the endpoint 104 dynamically selects one of the PSTN gateways2206 or 2208 using a process based on the performed digit analysis andinformation previously obtained from the access server 102.

In the present example, the process is based on the following:

R=g(f(CN),LO,TZc,TZg,RA)

where R is the route, CN is the called number, LO is the location of agateway serving the called number (e.g., the gateway 2206 or 2208), TZcis the time zone of the endpoint placing the call (e.g., the endpoint104), TZg is the time zone of the gateway serving the called number, andRA is the rate (e.g., cost per minute) that will be applied to the call.The function “f” is a digit analysis function that splits the callednumber into its various components (e.g., country code, area code andnumber). The function “g” uses the components obtained by f(CN) inconjunction with LO, TZc, TZg, and RA to arrive at a optimal route formaking the phone call. In the present example, “g” is a lookup functionof tables based on f(CN), LO, TZc, TZg, and RA. The information for LO,TZc, TZg, and RA is obtained by the endpoint 104 from the lookup tablesdownloaded from the access server 102 as previously described.

Accordingly, the endpoint 104 may select whichever of the PSTN gateways2206 or 2208 provides the optimal route to the endpoint 2202. It isunderstood that different routes may be optimal for different reasons.For example, one route may be optimal from a cost standpoint, whileanother route may be optimal from a transmission rate (e.g., quality)standpoint. In some embodiments, the process parameters may be modifiedby a user before being applied, thereby enabling the user to select themanner in which the route should be optimized. It is understood thatadditional parameters may be included.

One example of using the method 2300 with a lookup routing table toselect a route based on a minimum rate (e.g., a user requested minimumrate for call) is now provided. An example RA lookup routing table isshown below in Table 1.

TABLE 1 Country Code Area Code Rate Route for Gateway 91 44 0.20sip.india.gateway 91 44 0.35 sip.us.to.indiaIf the called number is 9144XXXXXXXXXX, where XXXXXXXXXX is the phonenumber, then f(CN) would provide 91, 44, XXXXXXXXXX as the output basedon Table 1. Next, the “g” function is applied based on the RA lookuptable. In this case, since the route will be picked for the minimumrate, the “g” function will return sip.india.gateway as the route touse.

Another example uses the method 2300 with a lookup routing table toselect a route based on connection quality. An example LO lookup routingtable is shown below in Table 2.

TABLE 2 Country Code Area Code Quality Route for Gateway 91 44 Lowsip.india.gateway 91 44 High sip.us.to.indiaIn the present case, the user has chosen to select the route having thehigher quality connection for the number 9144XXXXXXXXXX. Accordingly,the “g” function will return sip.us.to.india as the route to use.

Referring to FIG. 24, in yet another embodiment, a heterogeneous system2400 includes the system 100 as described with respect to FIG. 22, theendpoint 2202, the PSTN 2204, and the PSTN gateway 2206. In the presentexample, the system 100 also includes a media router 2402 that iscoupled to the endpoint 104 and the PSTN gateway 2206. The media router2402 enables the endpoint 104 to connect to the endpoint 2202 when theendpoint 104 includes a symmetric NAT that would prevent a directconnection from being established as described with respect to FIGS. 22and 23. As is known, a symmetric NAT is one where all requests from thesame internal IP address and port to a specific destination IP addressand port are mapped to the same external IP address and port. If thesame host sends a packet with the same source address and port, but to adifferent destination, a different mapping is used. Only the externalhost that receives a packet can send a UDP packet back to the internalhost.

With additional reference to FIG. 25, a method 2500 illustrates oneembodiment of a process that may be used within the system 2400 of FIG.24 to establish an outgoing audio call from the endpoint 104 to theendpoint 2202 via the media router 2402. The method 2500 begins when themedia router 2402 receives a request to establish a connection from theendpoint 104. Upon receipt of the request, the media router 2402 createsa port in step 2502 and associates the IP address of the endpoint 104with the created port on the media router 2402. Although not shown inFIG. 25, the media router 2402 also notifies the endpoint 2202 of thecreated media router port to be used for the connection. In step 2504,the media router 2402 waits for audio from either the endpoint 104 orthe endpoint 2202.

In step 2506, upon receiving audio at the created port, the media router2402 determines whether the IP address of the received audio correspondsto the IP address of the endpoint 104. If the IP addresses match, themedia router 2402 captures the port of the endpoint 104 used for theconnection from the received audio in step 2508. This enables the mediarouter 2402 to send messages through the symmetric NAT to the endpoint104. In step 2510, the media router 2402 determines whether it hasdestination information for the endpoint 2202. If it does, the mediarouter 2402 forwards the received audio to the endpoint 2202 in step2512. If not, it will ignore the audio in step 2514 and drop it withoutany forwarding. It will ignore audio from the endpoint 104 until step2516 occurs.

Returning to step 2506, if the IP address of the received audio does notcorrespond to the IP address of the endpoint 104, the method willcontinue to step 2516. In step 2516, the destination IP address and port(of the endpoint 2202 in the present example) will be captured andstored by the media router 2402. In step 2518, the media router 2402will determine whether the source port has been captured (which occursin step 2508). If the source port has already been captured, the mediarouter 2402 will forward the audio to the source IP address and port(e.g., the endpoint 104). If the source port has not been captured, itwill ignore the audio in step 2522 and drop it without any forwarding.

While the preceding description shows and describes one or moreembodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art thatvarious changes in form and detail may be made therein without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. For example,various steps illustrated within a particular sequence diagram may becombined or further divided. In addition, steps described in one diagrammay be incorporated into another diagram. For example, the STUNrequest/response steps of FIG. 5 may be incorporated into diagrams thatdo not show this process. Furthermore, the described functionality maybe provided by hardware and/or software, and may be distributed orcombined into a single platform. Additionally, functionality describedin a particular example may be achieved in a manner different than thatillustrated, but is still encompassed within the present disclosure.Therefore, the claims should be interpreted in a broad manner,consistent with the present disclosure.

1. A system comprising: an access server configured to perform anauthentication process for a first endpoint within a peer-to-peer firstnetwork, wherein the authentication process includes receivingauthentication information from the first endpoint, verifying thereceived authentication information, and sending a profile and a routingtable from the access server to the first endpoint in response to theverifying, wherein the profile is uniquely associated with the firstendpoint by the access server, and wherein the profile identifies aplurality of internal endpoints within the peer-to-peer network withwhich the first endpoint has permission to communicate and identifieswhether each of the plurality of internal endpoints is online, and therouting table contains address information needed for the first endpointto communicate directly with each of the plurality of internal endpointsthat are identified as being online, and wherein the access serverprovides address information for a media router to the first endpoint;and the media router configured to provide audio forwarding servicesdirectly to the first endpoint and to an external second endpoint thatis in a second network accessible to the media router via a gateway,wherein a symmetric network address translation device is positionedbetween the first endpoint and the media router and between the firstendpoint and the second endpoint, wherein the audio forwarding servicesinclude: receiving a connection request from the first endpoint, whereinthe connection request requests the establishment of an audio connectionby the media router on behalf of the first endpoint; creating aforwarding port on the media router and associating a first networkaddress of the first endpoint with the forwarding port; notifying thesecond endpoint of the forwarding port; receiving audio information atthe forwarding port from one of the first and second endpoints;determining whether a source network address of the received audioinformation matches the first network address; capturing first portinformation corresponding to a first port of the first endpoint used tosend the audio information if the source network address matches thefirst network address; determining whether second port information and asecond network address corresponding to the second endpoint have beenobtained by the media router; and sending the audio information to thesecond endpoint using the second port information and the second networkaddress only if the second port information and second network addresshave been obtained.
 2. The system of claim 1 wherein the audioforwarding services include discarding the audio information if thesecond port information and second network address have not beenobtained by the router.
 3. The system of claim 1 wherein the audioforwarding services further include, if the step of determiningidentifies that the source network address of the received audioinformation does not match the first network address, capturing thesecond port information and the second network address corresponding tosecond endpoint; determining whether the first port information has beenobtained by the media router; and sending the audio information to thefirst endpoint only if the first port information has been obtained. 4.The system of claim 3 wherein the audio forwarding services includediscarding the audio information if the first port information has notbeen obtained by the router.
 5. The system of claim 1 wherein the secondnetwork is a public switched telephone network and the gateway is apublic switched telephone network gateway.
 6. The system of claim 1wherein the first endpoint is configured to use the media router only ifthe symmetric network address translation device is positioned betweenthe first endpoint and the second endpoint.
 7. The system of claim 6wherein the first endpoint is configured to contact the gateway directlyif the symmetric network address translation device is not positionedbetween the first endpoint and the second endpoint.
 8. A method forconnecting a first endpoint having a first address and first port to asecond endpoint having a second address and second port, wherein thefirst and second endpoints are in first and second networks,respectively, and wherein the first endpoint is separated from thesecond endpoint by a symmetric network address translation device, themethod comprising: creating a third port on a media router afterreceiving a connection request at the media router from the firstendpoint; determining whether audio received at the third port is fromthe first address; capturing the first port if the audio received at thethird port is from the first address; determining whether the secondaddress and second port are stored on the media router; and forwardingthe audio to the second endpoint if the second address and second portare stored on the media router.
 9. The method of claim 8 furthercomprising dropping the audio without forwarding if the second addressand second port are not stored on the media router.
 10. The method ofclaim 8 further comprising capturing the second address and second portif the audio received at the third port is not from the first addressand if the second address and second port have not been captured sincecreating the third port.
 11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:determining whether the first port is stored on the media router; andforwarding the audio to the first endpoint if the first port is storedon the media router.
 12. The method of claim 11 further comprisingdropping the audio without forwarding if the first port is not stored onthe media router.
 13. The method of claim 8 further comprising capturingthe first address after receiving the connection request.
 14. The methodof claim 8 further comprising removing a mapping for the third port ifaudio is not received at the third port for a predefined amount of time.15. The method of claim 8 wherein a gateway is positioned in the secondnetwork between the media router and the second endpoint, the methodfurther comprising notifying the gateway of the third port.
 16. A systemfor peer-to-peer communications, the system comprising: a media routerpositioned within a first network; a first endpoint positioned withinthe first network and coupled to the media router, the first endpointhaving a first address and a first port, wherein the first endpoint isconfigured to communicate with a second endpoint positioned within asecond network and coupled to the media router, the second endpointhaving a second address and second port, and wherein the first endpointis coupled to symmetric network address translation functionalityseparating it from the media router and the second endpoint; and aplurality of executable instructions stored on the media router forexecution by a processor contained within the media router, theinstructions including: instructions for creating a third port on themedia router after receiving a connection request at the media routerfrom the first endpoint; instructions for determining whether audioreceived at the third port is from the first address; instructions forcapturing the first port if the audio received at the third port is fromthe first address; instructions for determining whether the secondaddress and second port are stored on the media router; and instructionsfor forwarding the audio to the second endpoint if the second addressand second port are stored on the media router.
 17. The system of claim16 further comprising instructions for dropping the audio withoutforwarding if the second address and second port are not stored on themedia router.
 18. The system of claim 16 further comprising instructionsfor capturing the second address and second port if the audio receivedat the third port is not from the first address.
 19. The system of claim18 further comprising instructions for: determining whether the firstport is stored on the media router; and forwarding the audio to thefirst endpoint if the first port is stored on the media router; anddropping the audio without forwarding if the first port is not stored onthe media router.
 20. The system of claim 16 further comprisinginstructions for capturing the first address after receiving theconnection request.
 21. The system of claim 16 further comprisinginstructions for removing a mapping for the third port if audio is notreceived at the third port for a predefined amount of time.
 22. Thesystem of claim 16 further comprising a gateway positioned in the secondnetwork between the media router and the second endpoint, the systemfurther comprising instructions for notifying the gateway of the thirdport.